Bhutan
Until recently Bhutan was an anomaly among world nations. The tiny landlocked monarchy at the eastern end of the Himalayas was famous for being untouched by time. Under the absolute authority of the king, the Bhutanese pursued a medieval agrarian lifestyle with few trappings of the modernized world. However in 2006 the king, Jigme Singye, used his absolute authority to proclaim that the kingdom was transitioning to a constitutional monarchy and would hold elections. He then abdicated in favor of his Western-educated son Jigme Khesar Namgyel, who was crowned on November 6, 2008, and is now the figurehead ruler of the world’s youngest democracy. The young king is the fifth monarch of the Wangchuck dynasty which consolidated control of Bhutan’s warring fiefdoms in 1907.
Ugyen Wangchuk, the first King of Bhutan from 1907 to 1926, wearing the Raven Crown
The crown of Bhutan is known as the raven crown. It is based on the battle helmet worn by Jigme Namgyel (1825–81), aka “the black regent” who was the father of the first king (and whose warlike life consolidated central authority over feuding nobles and kept Bhutan independent of Great Britain). The raven is the national bird of Bhutan and represents Mahākāla, a protective deity/ dharmapāla particularly esteemed in the Buddhism of Tibet & Bhutan.
Jigme Khesar Namgyel, the current King of Bhutan, wearing the Raven Crown
The raven crown is a warrior’s hat surmounted by a raven and embroidered with the skulls, which are emblematic of Mahākāla. The aesthetic effect is striking, but–to anyone unfamiliar with the Buddhism of the Eastern Himalayas—the skulls and ravens make it look like the young king is a dark wizard or a death knight. Fortunately, judging by the esteem in which he is held, this seems to be far from the case!
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January 26, 2013 at 1:10 AM
Beatrix
We have these ravens here in Nepal also.
They are quite an aggressive bird.
They are usually the first birds to show up at Tibetan ‘sky burials’ to feast upon the human corpse left on the pyre (as a final act of compassion).
When we butcher a chicken or a goat the ravens are usually the first to show up for ‘their share’ which consists of the all the parts of the butchered animal we don’t eat- we toss the guts & whatever on our roof for them.
Perhaps this is the reason they are associated with MahaKala?
Just to show you how bold they can be-
When I first moved here I was hanging the washing on the clothesline on the roof, I felt something pull my ponytail- I looked around & saw nothing. Something then pulled my hair again but this time on my scalp – I felt ‘scratchy claws’ & heard a ‘whoosh’ – I looked around & saw nothing.
The third time something yanked the hair on my scalp I heard a tremendous ‘CAW CAW CAW’, there was the raven, sitting atop our satellite dish about 6 ft away from me looking me directly in the eye.
I guess he thought I should bring him some lunch?
Mr Raven now has about 3 friends who regularly hang around our house, they still ‘dive-bomb’ me & yank my hair, especially when I’m feeding the chickens, cats, or our Tibetan mastiff.
Funny, they don’t pull anyone else’s hair in our household.
January 26, 2013 at 11:38 PM
Wayne
Wow they don’t sound nearly as fun as they seem in George R. R. Martin books. You throw guts on your roof? I’m not sure my neighbors would let me get away with that in Brooklyn.
At lest it sounds like they are friendly with you!
January 26, 2013 at 1:46 AM
Beatrix
PS-
I think I need a ‘death queen’ crown just for putting up with this ‘hair pulling’ business.
By the way the Nepali Gorkha war cry was and still is-
Jaya Mahakali, Ayo Gorkhali !!!!!
(Glory to Great Kali, Gorkhas approach)!!!!
January 26, 2013 at 11:35 PM
Wayne
That is an amazing battle cry! It makes me think I should think of something to say if I ever have to go over the top.
January 28, 2013 at 8:35 AM
Beatrix
Jaya Mahakali, Ayo Wayne!!!
Sorry, just doesn’t have the same bloodcurdling ‘ring’ to it.
Hah!
Maybe if you downed half a pint of Nepali moonshine (homemade rice whiskey- from a still made out of a clay pot with a bamboo spout) & waved a Khukuri (Gorkha knife) menacingly the phrase might be more effective.
Is there a law against throwing guts on your roof in Brooklyn?
Geez, some people are soooo picky.
What more ‘compassionate’ way could there be to get rid of offal?
Ravens, hawks, kites, eagles, osprey, falcons, caracaras, crows, the occasional lammergeyer often show up, it can get a bit ‘Hitchcockian’ (is there such a word?
Right now we have quite a few migratory Avian visitors from Siberia & whatnot up north- Did you know that at any given time of year 10% of the world’s birds are in the Himalayas?
January 28, 2013 at 9:01 AM
Beatrix
Ok. I am going on a bit here but bear with me-
“Obsolete collective nouns for a group of ravens (or at least the Common Raven) include “unkindness” and “conspiracy”. In practice, most people use the more generic “flock”.”
Isn’t that cool?
A ‘conspiracy of ravens’ or an ‘unkindness of ravens’?
Sounds a bit ‘Gothic’, no?